A New Jersey man beat his wife to death with a barbell because he harbored deep hatred for her and had an extramarital affair with a woman, according to police.

Michael A. Kless, 67, is charged with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

He is accused of murdering his wife, Stacy E. Kless, 66, to whom he was married for nearly 40 years, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office reported.

Police responded around 9:30 a.m. m. Wednesday to a home at 100 Seward Drive in Ocean Township after receiving two calls about a possible murder.

Officers entered the home and found Stacy Kless dead. Police identified her husband as the suspect and found him unconscious in his vehicle at a rest area on the Garden State Parkway. He was rushed to the hospital, where he is in critical condition.

According to the arrest warrant consulted by The Asbury Park Press, after murdering his wife, the suspect sent a text message to his two adult children confessing what happened. He also allegedly sent an email confessing the crime to another person.

The email reportedly “indicated a latent hatred toward victim Kless, his romantic relationship with a Central American woman, and a description of the murder” that matched evidence found at the crime scene.

Additionally, he reportedly told his children that he planned to take his own life by taking prescription pills.

Police later learned that, approximately half an hour before receiving the call, a team of workers came to the home to perform a scheduled repair. When Michael Kless answered the door, he had a scratch on his face and insisted that the work be rescheduled, the affidavit states.

Ocean Township Mayor John P. Napolitani Sr. told the Park Press that the murder has left the community “shocked.”

“No one expected it,” Napolitani told the outlet. “There was not the slightest sign that this was going to happen.”